Since the Sumerian period more than 4,000 years ago, trade and transport via ports (both open water and river) have been essential parts of ancient—and modern—economies. A port is defined as a maritime commercial facility consisting of one or more quays (a concrete, stone, or metal platform lying alongside or projecting into water) for ships to dock and load/unload both passengers and cargo. The apostle Paul, for instance, would have visited many such ports on his missionary journeys. Archaeologists digging in southern Iraq recently discovered a Sumerian port near Ur, the traditional hometown of Abraham (Genesis 11). This harbor—built […]
